Five Middle Eastern countries have confirmed participation in GREEN×EXPO 2027: Yemen, Qatar, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. All five appear on the participation list published by the GREEN×EXPO Association (as of 9 September 2026) and on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list (as of 7 September 2026). Only Qatar has gone on to sign an official participation contract with the Association.
GREEN×EXPO 2027 is the 2027 International Horticultural Expo. It will run from 19 March to 26 September 2027 at a site in Yokohama’s Seya and Asahi wards. The country details below come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ basic data and the Association’s announcements, and are current as of September 2026.
The Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula
Qatar
Qatar signed its official participation contract with the GREEN×EXPO Association on 13 May 2025 at the MAFF Sanbancho Conference Hall in Chiyoda, Tokyo. This was the first official participation contract for GREEN×EXPO 2027, so Qatar became the expo’s first international exhibitor. Qatar also hosted the previous A1-class International Horticultural Expo, Expo 2023 Doha. Its exhibit is planned to carry the spirit of that expo forward to Yokohama, but specific exhibit content has not been announced as of September 2026. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ basic data, its capital is Doha, its population is about 3.37 million (January 2026, including foreign residents) and its official language is Arabic. Our article on Qatar has more on the signing ceremony and on Qatar’s plants and food.
Yemen
Yemen is on the participation list, but as of September 2026 it has not signed an official participation contract and has not announced any exhibit information. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ basic data, its capital is Sana’a, its population is about 40.6 million (2024, World Bank) and its language is Arabic. Japan recognised Yemen and established diplomatic relations in May 1990, following the unification of North and South Yemen. In April and May 2025, Yemen’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr Al-Ashwal, attended the opening ceremony and Yemen’s national day at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
The Levant
Jordan
Jordan is also on the list. As of September 2026 it has neither signed an official participation contract nor announced any exhibit information. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ basic data, its capital is Amman, its population is 11.553 million (2024, World Bank) and its language is Arabic (English is also widely used). Relations between the two countries are extremely close, including long-standing ties between the imperial and royal families. King Abdullah II has visited Japan 16 times, and Crown Prince Hussein visited Japan as an expo guest in May 2025.
Lebanon
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ basic data, Lebanon’s capital is Beirut, its population is about 5.8 million (2024 estimate, World Bank) and its language is Arabic (French and English are also used). Lebanon appears on the participation list too, but as of September 2026 it has not signed an official participation contract or announced any exhibit information. Japan and Lebanon established diplomatic relations in 1954, and cultural exchange continues through grant aid and events such as a Japanese film festival held in Lebanon.
Syria
Syria has also announced its participation. As of September 2026 it has not signed an official participation contract or announced anything about its exhibit. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ basic data, its capital is Damascus, its population is 23.87 million (2024 estimate, CIA World Factbook) and its official languages are Arabic and Kurdish (Kurdish was added by presidential decree in January 2026). In December 2025, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Onishi visited the country for the first time in about 15 years and announced the resumption of bilateral economic cooperation. Syria’s Minister of Health, Dr Ali, visited Japan around the same time.
Our take
Of the five Middle Eastern countries, only Qatar has reached a signed contract. Qatar is expected to bring its experience of hosting Expo 2023 Doha to Yokohama, and specific exhibit details will probably follow before opening. We think Yemen, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon are staying at the announcement stage for now, partly because of domestic and regional circumstances. Still, all four have long-standing diplomatic ties with Japan.
We will update this article as more news comes in. Other participating countries and organisations are in our participating countries guide, and dates, access, tickets and places to stay are on our GREEN×EXPO 2027 page.